The first acquaintance with Almaty

Established in 1854 as a frontier fort, Almaty has developed into the largest cosmopolitan city in Kazakhstan with a population of approximately 1,400,000 people. Since independence in 1991, the city has experienced a significant transformation from its sudden exposure to western markets. Almaty, formerly the capital of Kazakhstan, remains the business, financial and cultural center of the country.

Almaty is a cosmopolitan city that boasts of some of the best restaurants, hotels and museums in Central Asia. Russian and Kazakh are the two major languages spoken in Almaty, although many people speak English. This city is located in the shadow of the West Tian Shan Mountains.

A visit to Almaty provides an excellent opportunity for skiing: the lifts climb to approximately 3,163 meters. Great Almaty Lake, which is just west of Chimbulak, Almaty’s main ski resort, has a quaint alpine style hotel for overnights.

The Central State Museum offers an excellent overview of Kazakhstan’s history and includes numerous exhibit halls which provide an overview of the country’s chief archeological treasures and ancient traditions. Visitors to the city should also not miss Panfilov Park and the fabulous tsarist-era Russian Orthodox Cathedral (Svyato-Voznesensky Cathedral), which was build entirely of wood early in the last century.

There is no Almaty without the mountains. In clear weather they are seen from everywhere and are a real city landmark indispensable for directions. «Up» or «towards the mountains» also means «to the south» because the mountains are in the south. «Down» means «to the north», «in the direction opposite the mountains».

Central part of Almaty is divided into small square districts. Numbering of buildings usually starts from the east if a street lies along the mountains. If a street goes to the mountains numbering starts in the north. In the direction of number growth even numbers will be on your right side and odd numbers will be on your left. This rule does not apply in Microdistricts (Mikrorayony), which have their own numbering system. Numbering in some streets in the lower part of the city (from Rayumbek avenue towards the railway stations) starts in the south.

Many streets have been renamed. This is the bigest problem for all country... On all part, town, district, streets have been renamed after the independance... Times change! Our main advice is DO NOT BE AFRAID TO ASK! People in Almaty are very friendly and many of them speak English.